What started as “just an excuse to travel” has turned into something that could be potentially very meaningful for the future of short independent film distribution: the Gadabout Film Festival, which visited Oberlin College last Monday.

Inspired by the do-it-yourself music scene, New York native Eric Ayotte started the festival with the hope of making the works of small-time filmmakers available to a larger audience, a truly democratic aspiration. This is Ayotte’s fourth year on the road with the Gadabout, traveling around the United States to more than 50 cities. Nearly every venue that has screened the works asks for the festival to return.

As the Gadabout is comprised of submission-based work, the growing popularity may have something to do with the hike in quality. The films have noticeably improved from those showcased in last year’s festival, which also stopped in Oberlin.

“Only about half of the submissions were accepted this year,” said Ayotte, adding he was disappointed that he could not bring all the submissions on the road. “We pick the films we think are going to be as diverse and entertaining as possible.”

Before starting the second half of the festival, he made an announcement to the audience, encouraging them to submit any work they had or the work of anyone else who might be interested.

While there was only a very small audience and the festival got off to a shaky start due to technical difficulties, those who did come out were rewarded with a solid night of entertainment. The films ranged in topic and style, from surreal claymation to documentary shorts; all except one were comic shorts.

Two gems from the festival were submitted by Latino filmmaker Jossie Malis. The first film, I’m Not Sleepy, had a non-traditional, absurdist narrative. A story about a man who “can’t understand why [he’s] chewing a banana like an idiot” and a monster that emerges from the sea with an umbrella, the short was marvelously surreal. Though the plot was funny and unique, the camerawork was the most impressive aspect of the film. Shot in interesting locations from thoughtful angles, the movie had an odd, subtle beauty that was truly remarkable. Malis’s second piece, Memento Mori, a claymation about a man trapped in an elevator, was similarly bizarre in content and impressive in form.

A short documentary about a woman who collects all things kitsch was entertaining, if only for the fact that aside from the action figures and vintage aprons, this woman had “pope-ware” she liked to bring out for special company.

A number of shorts by filmmaker “Lev” used a very interesting technique to make it look as though a shadow of a hand with a pen was making actual marks on a paper, illustrating Tales of Mere Existence. They were comic pieces, effectively conveying the hilarious side of procrastination, going to parties and other mundane aspects of life.

I Oversee the Maintenance of a Tool Shed by George Cox, was exactly what the title said, and oh so much more.

There were a couple of pieces that were not as strong, such as a film of a shoplifter explaining why he loves to shoplift from places like Wal-Mart.

Independent cinema is not something that one can get one’s hands on easily, a fact that makes the Gadabout an even more worthy and democratic service.